How Staying Safe Kills Success
- Brainz Magazine
- Nov 8, 2021
- 4 min read
Written by: Michelle Clarke, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Stay Safe. That tiny phrase that has become a worldwide catch-all phrase, let’s examine it and the role it is playing in our future.
Has the world ever been a safe place?
Is safety desirable?
Is safety where all the good things are at?
Is staying safe the ultimate goal now?
These are the questions that are bursting forth in my brain right now, and the level of attachment to safety concerns me. Safety does not lead to success, safety does not lead to growth, safety is about constriction, playing safe, diverting risks, shrinking. The reason I am so alarmed by the world’s new catchphrase is that changing the world requires us to think outside the box, not operate within the parameters of safety.
Now I get what the phrase means and the good intent behind it, but letting this phrase seep into every area of our lives and especially our businesses are turning the entrepreneurial world on its head right now. Entrepreneurs are risk-takers, starting a new business, or launching a new product is not safe, it is at the opposite end of safety, and that is why entrepreneurs that last, succeed and make all the money are considered to be ‘off the wall crazy’. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the big players, did Richard Branson play by the rules? Did Oprah listen when the world told her no one wanted to hear her talk?
Off the wall, crazy entrepreneurs are here to change the world, but we don’t support or celebrate thinking outside the box these days, and in fact, the world has always tried to keep people safe. The days of living off the land in groups, if you did anything ‘outside the norm’ you were banished, change was not safe. The days of life changing discoveries such as Michael Servetus, a Spanish doctor who discovered and wrote about the circulatory system and was punished as heretic, change was not safe. We are programmed to stay safe, to fit in, to tow the company line, or in this case, the sneaky message of safety that is pulling us into fear and away from the bravery that is required for change and success.
Stay safe? Do you realize that just by uttering the phrase you are telling your brain that you are not safe? No wonder so many people are overwhelmed! We kick-start our fight or flight response every 2 minutes! And why on earth is staying safe the goal? Is it safe where the good stuff is at? Is it safe where the growth and fun are? Would you not rather thrive than stay safe? Let’s have the new catchphrase be “stay thriving”!
In all seriousness, what is your personal experience? Do good things come from safety? surety? Contraction? Or do good things come from leaping without knowing it all? from the thrill of uncertainty? from the energy of expansion?
I don't want to be safe! I want to grow, I want to leap, I want to try new things, I want to up-level always and consistently. I want to go where the wild things are. What about you? Staying safe has become such a vibe, it has become our default, so how can you recognize if you are playing safe instead of playing big?
How will you know when you are playing it safe? You will be feeling triggered... You will see others leaping without knowing, you will see others taking bold action before they are ready, you will see others claiming their space before they have any right too, and you will feel triggered beyond belief. You might feel unsafe, you might feel threatened, you might feel left behind, you might feel like others are being irresponsible, and you will without a doubt not be feeling inflow, you will feel stuck and small.
We have already established that growth and change do not come from playing small. So my question for you today is, how can you play bigger? Where can you take risks that feel bold and aligned?.
Michelle Clarke, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle is an energy maverick, public speaker, author, and coach obsessed with empowering soul-led entrepreneurs to make more money doing only what they love. She says, "we have been led to believe that we must follow the normal way of doing things to succeed in business and life, but this just isn't true." She believes that the fastest road to success and living a hell yes life on your terms is to break free from the mold, unleash your true self, and sparkle like the leader you are born to be. Michelle is committed to working with women, especially those who have a fear of being visible, feel anxiety about ‘making it’ in case they cannot cope with a booming business and other commitments, and also have deep-rooted fears around allowing money into their lives even though they desire it. Her work is deeply rooted in Outing Imposter Syndrome, Creating Success Structures, and Changing Your Relationship With Money. Michelle says, "The results of what I do lead to FREEDOM. Underneath it all, that is what my tribe seeks, the freedom to be real them, the time freedom, and the money freedom, and they get it!" Michelle gets amazing results by helping soul-led entrepreneurs to dive into quantum energetics + success mindsets + powerful systems & then empowering them to show up as their truest version self to call in their soul clients magnetically.
